Alyssa was midway through a passage about the seasons changing when the timer cut her off.
Sixty seconds. That’s all the time the second grader had to finish.
Teacher Jean Tocco marked Alyssa’s stopping point on an assessment sheet to determine the number of words she can read per minute. Tocco also listened for missed sounds, hesitations and other clues that could signal a reading disability.
Tucked into a quiet, dark room at Como Community Center, Alyssa was taking part in Literacy Roundup, a city of Fort Worth initiative in its second year that screens children through the eighth grade for dyslexia and other reading difficulties.
“You did awesome,” Tocco told Alyssa as she gathered the assessment documents.
Literacy Roundup started last year as a partnership between the city and the Sid W. Richardson Foundation. About 400 children were screened.
This year, the screenings are offered at 13 community centers that are hosting the city’s summer camp and also at Freedom Schools, a free summer program at four locations, primarily for Fort Worth ISD students who come from low-income families. Literacy Roundup leader Caroline James hopes to screen 1,000 students — a lofty goal, but the need is great, she said.
“Literacy has to be a citywide initiative,” James said. “The schools can’t do all of this by themselves.”
The program started as a way to tackle Fort Worth’s literacy crisis. Across the city, 47% of students read proficiently, according to a Fort Worth Education Partnership analysis of new STAAR results.
Among the 12 school districts that serve Fort Worth, proficiency rates range from 63% in Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD to 27% in Lake Worth ISD. About 40% of Fort Worth ISD students read proficiently, according to the partnership’s analysis.
James rifled through colorful folders in a box and pulled out a kindergarten test that assesses students’ pronunciation of letters, or what is called phonemic segmentation.
“It gets tricky when you get to harder words. For example, you don’t hear that E,” James said, pointing at the word done. “I don’t want you to hear that E. You hear duh-uh-n.”
Literacy Roundup leader Caroline James rifles through a variety of reading skills tests for kindergarteners through eighth graders at the Fort Worth Como Community Center on June 17, 2026. The tests screen students for dyslexia so their families can access school resources. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Students with dyslexia don’t necessarily hear all those different, separate sounds, she said.
“This is a test that helps me understand, are you at risk for dyslexia? Because if you are, I’m going to have to teach you slightly differently,” James said.
State records show 17,756 dyslexic students enrolled in districts serving Fort Worth. That’s about 7.5% of nearly 240,000 students.
Nationally, researchers estimate between 5 and 12% of children have dyslexia.Yet 4.5% of public school students are identified with a learning disability, indicating many children with dyslexia may never receive a diagnosis, American Public Media reported.
That disconnect is precisely why Literacy Roundup exists, James said.
“More kids with dyslexia are going to be identified and get services. That’s the whole point,” she said.
Literacy Roundup leader Caroline James and intern Marley Kerr pose for a photo at the Fort Worth Como Community Center on June 17, 2026. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Literacy Roundup intern Marley Kerr knows the frustration and embarrassment that often comes with undiagnosed dyslexia. Growing up, she knew something was off. Her twin brother was reading well above his grade level, while she struggled.
“It seemed like we were in a race. Everyone was swimming through water, but I was swimming through honey,” the 20-year-old said.
The adults in Kerr’s life noticed and she started receiving extra help for her dyslexia, she said. She graduated from Paschal High School and is now working on a double major in psychology and child development at Oklahoma State University.
Her message to Literacy Roundup students? “You’re not doing something wrong. The systems in place haven’t supported you. But you can get that support. You can learn how to read, and you’re so capable.”
Cynthia Landrum, a Fort Worth ISD teacher and summer literacy specialist, explains the instructions for a reading skills test at the Fort Worth Como Community Center on June 17, 2026. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Clara Kirby, supervisor of Como Community Center, pulled James to the side near the front desk.
Kirby sees the need for the dyslexia screenings every day at the center. She talks to the kids. She sees those who pick up books — and those who don’t. Her niece has struggled with dyslexia and the screenings have helped.
“Will you be here next week?” Kirby asked.
“Tell me when and I can be here,” James responded.
Disclosure: The Sid W. Richardson Foundation is a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez.
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